Congress Completely United To Defeat BJP In Karnataka: Rahul Gandhi
NDTV
Today, I was happy to see Mr Siddaramaiah and Mr Shivakumar hugging each other on the stage, Rahul Gandhi said.
Karnataka Congress chief D K Shivakumar hugged party heavyweight Siddaramaiah on his 75th birthday in a public show of unity and bonhomie on Wednesday, prompting Rahul Gandhi to express happiness.
Mr Shivakumar and Mr Siddaramaiah are considered front-runners for Chief Minister's post in the event of Congress coming to power after Assembly elections, due in April-May next year.
Though both Mr Siddaramaiah and Mr Shivakumar have on record maintained that the Chief Minister will be decided by party's newly elected MLAs and high command on gaining majority in the polls, their loyalists and supporters have been projecting their leader, leading to unease in the party.
Speaking at a mega event to celebrate his birthday, Mr Siddaramaiah asserted that the talk that there is a rift between him and Mr Shivakumar is an "illusion and creation" of opposition parties.
